02/22/2011 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

           HB 129-DECEASED VETERAN DEATH CERTIFICATE                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:04:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  THOMPSON  announced that  the  only  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 129,  "An Act  relating to  providing a                                                               
death certificate for a deceased veteran without charge."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:04:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR   SADDLER  moved   to  adopt   the  proposed   committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  for  HB   129,  Version  27-LS0450\M,  Bullard,                                                               
2/17/11,  as the  working document.   There  being no  objection,                                                               
Version M was before the committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:05:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MAX GRUENBERG,  Alaska State  Legislature, stated                                                               
that the proposed  legislation provides a limited  number of free                                                               
death certificates to veterans' families  in order to allow those                                                               
who are  dealing with the  estate of a  veteran to apply  for and                                                               
obtain governmental  benefits, but not  for other purposes.   The                                                               
legislation is modeled on existing  Arizona law, and will provide                                                               
additional assistance  to families that are  handling the affairs                                                               
of  a  deceased  veteran.   Representative  Gruenberg  related  a                                                               
personal story that illustrated  the benefit of this legislation.                                                               
He noted that the legislation  has advanced in previous sessions,                                                               
but "ran  out of time,"  and he is  not aware of  any opposition.                                                               
He called attention to the zero  fiscal note and pointed out that                                                               
there will be a  loss of revenue estimated at up  to $75,000.  At                                                               
the  suggestion of  H.D. "Dan"  McCrummen, MCPO,  USCG (Retired),                                                               
Version M makes  two changes:  references to the  Coast Guard and                                                               
Coast  Guard Reserves  were omitted  in the  CS because  they are                                                               
"technically  in the  armed services,"  and  thereby are  already                                                               
included  in the  bill; the  Alaska Army  National Guard  and the                                                               
Alaska  Air  National  Guard  were  eliminated  in  the  CS,  and                                                               
National Guard was substituted.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:11:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SADDLER  asked  whether  Dan McCrummen  serves  on  the                                                               
Alaska Veterans Advisory Council board.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:12:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG  said  he   was  unsure.    In  further                                                               
response   to  Co-Chair   Saddler,   he   indicated  that   death                                                               
certificates can be  obtained at a cost of $25  each for purposes                                                               
not applicable to the bill.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:12:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MILLER  inquired as  to how  many copies  could be                                                               
requested  at no  charge, and  whether the  legislation specifies                                                               
who is qualified to request copies at no charge.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG called  attention to  page 2,  line 22,                                                               
and said:                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     The bureau shall issue one  certified copy of the death                                                                    
     certificate,  free,  to  an  eligible  recipient.    An                                                                    
     eligible    recipient   is    defined   on    page   2,                                                                    
     sub[paragraph] (A),  (7)(A), lines 26 and  following up                                                                    
     to the  top of page 3,  so in other words,  a surviving                                                                    
     spouse or  other relative  - each one  could get  one -                                                                    
     ...  any  heir,  a   devisee,  and  administrators,  et                                                                    
     cetera.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG added that  the estimate from the Bureau                                                               
of  Vital Statistics,  Department of  Health and  Social Services                                                               
(DHSS), has  been revised to an  average of three or  four copies                                                               
per person,  since these copies could  only be used to  apply for                                                               
governmental benefits.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:14:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SADDLER observed  the  fiscal  note analysis  reflected                                                               
families have been known to request  up to 40 copies, which would                                                               
increase the cost to the state.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he was  unaware of any reason for a                                                               
request  for 40  copies, as  "there are  just a  few governmental                                                               
agencies  that  would provide  benefits  dependent  upon a  death                                                               
certificate."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:15:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GRETCHEN STAFT,  Staff, Representative Max Gruenberg,  added that                                                               
unless  40  different  eligible   recipients  requested  a  death                                                               
certificate, there would  be no additional cost to  the state, or                                                               
a loss  of revenue, because  each eligible recipient  is entitled                                                               
to one certified copy.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:16:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SADDLER asked if the  death certificates were "standard-                                                               
issue government" certificates without decoration.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG indicated yes.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:17:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR THOMPSON opened public testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:17:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WARD HURLBURT,  MD, Director and  Chief Medical  Officer, Central                                                               
Office,  Division  of Public  Health,  Department  of Health  and                                                               
Social  Services   (DHSS),  stated  the  administration   has  no                                                               
position on  HB 129,  and he  reviewed the  proposed legislation.                                                               
The  experience of  his division  is that  the average  number of                                                               
requests for  a death certificate  is 5, although the  average of                                                               
3-4 requests was used in the  calculation of the fiscal impact of                                                               
the bill.   He advised  that requests for free  certificates from                                                               
family  members  are  projected  at  between  1-5,000  per  year;                                                               
furthermore,  the  division  expects  that as  awareness  of  the                                                               
legislation heightens,  the impact  would grow and  the reduction                                                               
in fees  to the Bureau  of Vital  Statistics would be  $75,000 in                                                               
Fiscal Year  2012 (FY 12), and  then increase over the  next five                                                               
subsequent years  to $100,000  in reduced  income.   Dr. Hurlburt                                                               
cautioned  that  to  maintain  current  staffing  levels  at  the                                                               
bureau, income from general fund  (GF) appropriations and fees is                                                               
necessary.     He stated his significant concern  that the bureau                                                               
would not be  able to maintain its current level  of service with                                                               
the loss of fees unless GF appropriations balance its budget.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:21:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SADDLER  surmised  a   party  that  requests  40  death                                                               
certificates paid for them.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DR. HURLBURT  answered yes.   He added  that the bureau  does not                                                               
ask for the reason for a request.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SADDLER asked  for an estimated fee  schedule that would                                                               
make up for the lost revenue.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
DR. HURLBURT  estimated that a  fee increase of greater  than $10                                                               
for non-veteran  certificates would be  required.  He  offered to                                                               
provide the exact calculation.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:22:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  THOMPSON,  upon  determining  no  one  else  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:23:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SADDLER moved  to report  the proposed  CS for  HB 129,                                                               
Version  27-LS0450\M, Bullard,  2/17/11,  out  of committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection,  CSHB 129(MLV)  was reported  from the                                                               
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.